Biomed Unleashed

What does it take to build one of Europe’s leading research institutes in Regenerative Medicine? In this inspiring conversation, we speak with Professor Clemens van Blitterswijk, a pioneer in tissue engineering and founder of the MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine in Maastricht, the Netherlands.
The conversation touches on many turning points: building companies during crises, navigating the choice between academia and business, and leading a remarkable transfer of sixteen colleagues to establish a new research institute.
Clemens reflects on the right time to commercialize discoveries and how coincidental findings can lead to breakthroughs in top journals. He shares insights on helping startups through RegMed XB and the delicate art of knowing when to push forward and when to stop. We also discussed why art and science are more closely related than we think.
From biomaterials that grow bone to Clemens’ vision for high-throughput technologies, this interview reveals a scientist-entrepreneur who has not only advanced regenerative medicine but also built bridges between universities, startups, and patients – pushing regenerative medicine field forward. 

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Biomed unleashed
00:27 Guest Introduction
01:27 Welcome
02:00 What sparked Prof. Clemens van Blitterswijk’s interest in regenerative medicine?
03:40 How to get a job?
05:13 Differences in setting up your own lab back then and now
06:10 Founding companies
09:33 Combining research and entrepreneurship as a profession 
11:05 Clemens’ thoughts about combining academia and entrepreneurship when he was a bachelor student
12:22 Interest in science when Clemens was a child
13:10 Illusion of having everything under control
14:10 Building company during crisis
16:00 Advice to people to keep going in difficult life situation
18:11 Dilemma: academia research or business management?
21:05 Leaving one university and transferring your lab to another, why and how?
22:45 Why coming to Maastricht (the Netherlands)?
24:27 What to do when you do not agree with the situation?
25:08 Mega transfer of 16 staff members from one university to another and building the MERLN Institute for Technology Inspired Regenerative Medicine in Maastricht (the Netherlands)
27:12 Balance of freedom and structure in the MERLN Institute 
30:00 Believe or be critical? How to keep the same sense of purpose in large organizations? 
32:18 Bringing science to application to help patients
33:57 Materials that can grow bone tissue (without cells) even in skin - Kuros Biosciences
37:18 Helping new regenerative medicine companies (startups) - RegMed XB
40:16 Complexity of financing research
42:25 Fostering collaborations between universities in the Netherlands - RegMed XB
44:36 Thoughts on future collaborations between universities in Europe
45:36 Retirement and influence 
48:48 Helping university spin-offs 
49:45 What is the right time to start commercializing your research?
51:59 Coincidental findings in research that lead to publications in Nature and Advanced Materials
54:36 Serendipity and talent to see when something is special
56:03 Is it possible to develop the talent of seeing when something is special?
58:11 Being able to stop at a right moment is essential
58:34 Art and science
1:00:05 The project that Prof. Clemens van Blitterswijk is most proud of
1:02:30 High throughput technologies for research
1:05:22 Abandon fundamental scientific approach of first understanding and then applying
1:05:35 Lab and cell organization are more similar than we think
1:07:08 How to have a satisfying scientific career?
1:08:22 Last question!
1:09:09 Meet Biomed Unleashed Team
1:09:39 Biomed Unleashed Outro

Host: Alisa Ovsiannikova
Writers: Alisa Ovsiannikova, Misha Bagirov
Editor: Misha Bagirov
Promotion: Amaliya Bagdasaryan, Alba Villagrasa Martin
Coordinator: Alisa Ovsiannikova

MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine https://merlninstitute.com

What does it take to lead the future of regenerative medicine? Professor Martijn van Griensven shared the experiences that have shaped his journey from his early days as Germany’s youngest professor to his current work as a leading mind in biomedical research and head of the cBITE department at the MERLN Institute.
We explored how bones heal, and why sometimes they don’t, and what role the immune system plays when regeneration breaks down. We dove into the molecular world of RNA therapies and their potential to modulate immune responses and help tissues rebuild themselves.
We talked about the practical challenges of bringing these therapies into the clinic, the role of AI in tailoring treatments to each patient, and what the future might hold. For Professor van Griensven, it’s not just about molecules and machines, it’s about curiosity, perseverance, and asking the right questions.

If you want to learn more, please follow the links below:
MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine: ⁠https://merlninstitute.com⁠
Hannover Medical School: https://www.mhh.de/en/
Research paper on the patient case after the motorcycle accident: https://www.cureus.com/articles/246346-the-treatment-of-very-large-traumatic-bone-defects-of-the-tibia-with-a-polycaprolactone-tricalcium-phosphate-3d-printed-cage-a-review-of-three-cases#!/

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro Biomed Unleashed
00:27 Guest Introduction
00:55 Welcome
1:10 Academic background
2:20 Challenges of being the Youngest Professor in Germany – 26 years old!
3:43 What initially sparked Martijn’s interest in regenerative medicine? – US experience
6:25 Why did Martijn start working at MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine in Maastricht, the Netherlands?
8:05 Why bone cannot heal on its own when there is a large defect?
9:56 Main ways to help the bone to heal? Does immunity play a role in that?
11:47 Most promising way to regenerate bones
13:14 RNAs and RNA-based regenerative medicine therapies
15:43 What type of RNA therapies is the focus of Martijn’s research?
16:55 Differences between messenger RNAs and micro RNAs
18:56 Are messenger RNAs or micro RNAs better?
20:13 Off-target effects of micro RNAs?
21:59 Can micro RNAs help stem cells avoid immune rejection in the human body? 
25:01 If one type of micro RNAs is considered safe for human use, does it mean that other types are safe as well or are they completely different?
26:20 How can environmental factors affect micro RNAs in stem cells?
28:11 3D culture environment for micro RNAs. Is that important and is it used in research?
30:25 Microfluidic systems to study microRNA activity
32:00 Influence of specific materials for bone regeneration on micro RNA activity
34:01 Antagomirs – what are they and how are they used in regenerative medicine?
36:31 Challenges when using antagomirs
38:16 Are microRNAs specific or have multiple targets in the body?
39:52 Delivery systems of micro RNAs to cells
42:19 Gene editing tools to modify micro RNAs – is it possible?
42:39 Challenges of gene editing tools
44:21 Regenerative medicine in 5-10 years
45:39 Which countries are leading regenerative medicine research?
47:05 Exciting upcoming projects at MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine in Maastricht, the Netherlands
48:37 What is a research project that Martijn is most proud of?
49:49 How did regenerative medicine therapy heal 15 cm bone defect after a motorcycle accident?!
51:08 Minimum bone defect size that bone cannot heal anymore on its own
51:53 AI in regenerative medicine
53:30 AI in personalized medicine
54:43 Skills that students need to possess to work in regenerative medicine field
56:16 Last question!
57:30 Conclusion
57:43 Meet Biomed Unleashed Team
58:06 Outro Biomed Unleashed

Hosts and writers: Alisa Ovsiannikova, Alba Villagrasa Martin
Editor: Misha Bagirov
Promotion: Amalia Bagdasaryan
Coordinator: Alisa Ovsiannikova
MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine

How do you commercialize regenerative medicine, and why is it so challenging? 
What does it take to build a successful biotech startup? 
And are revolutionary regenerative medicine solutions closer than we think?

In this episode, our guest is Marianne van der Steen, Professor of Entrepreneurship in Healthcare and Chief Business Development Officer at the MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine in the Netherlands.
 
Prof. van der Steen is a founding director of REGMED XB, a translational institute with an investment of 250 million euros, which translates groundbreaking regenerative medicine technologies into commercial products and companies.

Her expertise spans across not only research in biomedical entrepreneurship, but also translation of regenerative medicine into market-ready solutions, co-founding of game-changing ventures, and bridging the gap between scientists, businesspeople, and policymakers. With over 15 years of experience in scaling regenerative medicine startups, mentoring entrepreneurs, and making transatlantic collaboration possible, she is the one shaping the future of regenerative medicine.

If you want to learn more about the companies and institutes mentioned in the episode, please follow the links below:

MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine –https://merlninstitute.com
RegMed XB –https://regmedxb.com
California Institure for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) –https://www.cirm.ca.gov 
MIRA University of Twente –https://www.utwente.nl/en/news/2010/3/116725/mira-ambitious-plan-for-the-future 
Hummingbird Biomedical –https://www.hummingbirdbiomedical.com 
ReGen Biomedical – https://www.regenbiomedical.com 
Vertex Pharmaceuticals –https://www.vrtx.com/home/
Mayo Clinic –https://www.mayoclinic.org
Nextkidney –https://nextkidney.com

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Biomed unleashed
00:39 Guest Introduction
01:32 Welcome
01:45 What has inspired you to focus on valorization of scientific knowledge?
03:35 Why valorization of specifically regenerative medicine projects?
05:14 Why is it challenging to commercialize regenerative medicine compared to other fields?
07:23 What is the idea behind the RegMed XB company that you co-founded?
09:34 What are the Moonshots in RegMed XB company, and why these specific Moonshots were chosen?
12:00 How do you foster international and public-private collaborations within regenerative medicine field?
14:29 What stage of product development are you typically involved in?
17:05 Do you teach scientists entrepreneurial skills?
20:08 What advice would you give to scientists who aspire to bring their knowledge to commercial applications?
22:34 How do you tackle failures, and what is a failure?
27:30 Why and how transatlantic collaboration between US and the Netherlands is important in the regenerative medicine field?
32:08 Looking into the future, how close are we to treating patients with engineered/artificial/lab-grown human tissues?
36:47 Future of in-silico trials
38:34 How can we measure success?
41:06 What is the most successful project you helped to upscale?
43:14 Last question!
45:15 Final thoughts
46:09 Meet Biomed Unleashed Team
46:37 Biomed Unleashed Outro

How do you get hold of the viruses and, with their help, cure some of the deadliest diseases known to humanity?

In this episode, David Schaffer, Professor of Chemical and Bioengineering, and Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, who was the first scientist to apply the directed evolution to engineer viruses for gene therapy, will share with us some of the most exciting parts of his academic journey in chemical and biomolecular engineering!

What is the process of directed evolution and how did it advance the field of gene therapy?

Were there any unexpected findings at David Schaffer’s Laboratory that led to groundbreaking discoveries?

How did the experience in founding and leading biotech companies affect his approach to academic research?

In this episode, discover the answers to these questions and get more insights into David Schaffer’s academic life!

Hosts and writers: Alisa Ovsiannikova, Misha Bagirov

Editors: Alisa Ovsiannikova, Misha Bagirov

Promotion: Amaliya Bagdasaryan

Coordinator: Alisa Ovsiannikova

What is personalised medicine and how it revolutionizes our understanding of classic medical approaches?

In this Episode, Professor Ali Khademhosseini, the CEO, and Terasaki Distinguished Professor at the Terasaki Institute in Los Angeles, USA, guides us through his scientific journey in bioengineering and personalized medicine.

Prof. Ali Khademhosseini was cited more than 133.000 times and has an H-index of 190. He has been honored by more than 70 major awards at both national and international levels.

What motivated Prof. Ali Khademhosseini to join Terasaki institute and reform it into a new research organisation, focusing on real-life applications of tissue engineering?

How did Ali Khademhosseini’s successful transition from academia to industry unleash?

How are hydrogels and organs-on-a-chip revolutionizing the field of personalized medicine?

Which personalized biomedical device has the highest potential to come next to clinical application?

You will find the answers to these questions and many more groundbreaking and inspiring insights on Ali Khademhosseini’s career in this episode!

Hosts and writers: Alisa Ovsiannikova, Misha Bagirov

Editors: Alisa Ovsiannikova, Misha Bagirov

Promotion: Amaliya Bagdasaryan

Coordinator: Alisa Ovsiannikova